Synthetix is based in Australia, Synthetix launched a seed funding round in September, 2017 to develop the concept of a self-contained stablecoin payment network. They then kicked off their public ICO on February 28, 2018 and by the end of the ICO on March 7, 2018, they had met their goal of $30,000,000 USD. Synthetix was rebranded from Havven on November 30, 2018. Synthetix is led by a multidisciplinary team of 13 individuals. The project was founded by Kain Warwick, who previously co-founded blueshyft, one of the largest digital payment networks in Australia. The CTO is Justin Moses, who also serves as the Director of Engineering at MongoDB. Synthetix aims to address the problem that companies running centralized payment networks such as PayPal, credit card networks, or the SWIFT banking network have “absolute control over the value within the network, so any transaction conducted within them may be blocked or reversed at any time.” According to the Synthetix white paper, “Although this is ostensibly designed to protect users, it introduces systemic risk for all participants. If the network is compromised or its owners cease to behave benevolently, no party can trust that the value in their account is secure or accessible.” This is theorized to work because anyone who holds SNX tokens in escrow will be incentivized by Synthetix rewards derived from network transaction fees that will be distributed “in proportion with how well each issuer maintains the correct Synths supply.” When a Synthetix escrow user puts their SNX in escrow, USD-stabilized Synths will be automatically put up for sale on a decentralized exchange at a price of $1 USD. To release escrowed SNX, the user must buy back the Synths issued (also at a price of $1 USD) at which point the Synths will be burned. The Synthetix system uses an algorithm to adjust network fees, and therefore dividends, to SNX holders to incentivize (or disincentivize) the holding of SNX in escrow smart contracts, and thus, the creation of Synths. The theory is that this will cause users to mint and burn Synths in the appropriate amount based solely on supply and demand.
The goal of APEX Network is through proprietary blockchain technology, foster deeper 1-to-1 B2C relationships, by giving enterprises newer optimized ways to approach marketing, CRM, loyalty, and customer experience, and at the same time maximizing value obtained by the consumer in all B2C interactions. The vision of APEX Network is to build stronger 1-to-1 relationships between the enterprise and consumers through proprietary blockchain technology - transforming how interactions, information, and value is exchanged throughout the B2C engagement process. APEX Network will help facilitate increased trust, privacy, and transparency for B2C interactions. It will also optimize efficiency, cost-effectiveness and help eliminate middlemen networks when necessary. Another key component to APEX Network is connectivity, in terms of both connected information as well as connected value. Information and data, when transacted using fair and transparent protocols, not only can enhance B2C interactions and experience but also can facilitate B2B data-level collaboration and exchange. Similarly, connecting and enabling the exchange of brand-assets, such as tokens and loyalty points, on a frictionless platform provides a turnkey gateway to alliances and commercial partnerships that previously require d manual arrangements. Brands and enterprises will be able to rapidly build and deploy decentralized applications for use cases across the customer lifecycle, including but not limited to marketing, CRM, customer experience optimization, loyalty, and customer insights. Chinapex (Parent company of APEX Network) happens to be in the business of data-driven customer lifecycle and journey management. Chinapex’s data management product, NEXUS has solved many of our 300+ enterprise customers’ problems surrounding integrating data across various touchpoints and data sources into unified profiles.